It's that time of the season where there is less planting and more harvest. The crew week is 80% harvest, 20% maintenance. Each day, the seven dedicated people who work full time at the farm arrive at 6AM, with a maintenance task in mind, usually the hoophouses and the three-season growing haygroves. By 8AM, when all the part-timers are on board, they gather in the packshed for a Farmer Paul led morning meeting, deciding on harvest schedule and what to harvest first and last.

This daily schedule is a combination of what needs to be done (Farmer Paul's list), what order (the crew's preferences) and the packshed cleaning and packing needs (which influences the crew's preference list). It's a dance that happens every morning, reviewed and revised after lunch each day and cross checked, marked off and reprioritized at the end of each day.

Each week in this space I talk about the produce and the farm. But to me, the incredible part of JenEhr is you, our customer/friends. You all cook some amazing meals and share your recipes and ideas with us. And while I love love love the food talk, what I adore is finding out more about each of you as you stop by the farmers market stand to chat. The artist who uses her weekly CSA share as inspiration for still lifes, the college physics instructor who provides little science tidbits along with favorite new reads, the author who lets me live vicariously with her writing adventures, and the list continues.

While I love growing great food for you all, I really appreciate when you share your life and stories with us. Thank you.

Saturday - Westside Community Market - Madison

Corner University Ave. and Segoe Rd.DoT Parking LotMadisonSaturday7AM to 1PM

Fresh Onions

They live in the allium family - onions, scallions and garlic. Several years ago, JenEhr grew acres of yellow storage onions, those yellow papered gems that didn't need refrigeration. Then along came thrips (which leave a yucky onion layer inside the bulb, unseen until it's cut open). So we went to fresh onions, succulent juicy baseball to softball sized orbs that need refrigeration.

These are perfect for all the sweating, browning and sauteeing you'd do with the traditional cured onion. But they really shine uncooked and raw. Sliced thinly on a ham sandwich or a thick slice atop a burger; shredded in a coleslaw or minced in ham salad. They don't store over long periods of time, but when kept refrigerated, should last at least a month.

Saturday - West Allis (Milwaukee)

National Ave & 65th St.West AllisSaturday1PM to 4PM Starting Mid May

Endings/Beginnings

The philosophy at JenEhr is to be one of the first to market with specialty items, then be done with them when everyone else's "stuff" comes in. So you won't find any cucumbers or summer squash at our market stand, but you will find beautiful green topped mixed carrot bunches and beet bunches with not only greens but three different beets in the bunch.

Besides the "philosophy" we grow a number of produce items under cover (no added heat and in the ground, not hydroponic). We think covering tomatoes and basil enhance the heat units from the sun, giving us something a little earlier, but certainly more flavorful. Even when your own garden tomatoes start to ripen, the JenEhr tomatoes will be sweeter with a fuller tomato flavor, because of added heat units, something especially important during this cooler summer.

Roasted Beets 'n Sweets

6 medium beets, peeled and cut into

chunks

2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

3 medium sweet potatoes, cut into

chunks

1 large sweet onion, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

In a bowl, toss the beets with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil to coat. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Mix the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and sugar in a large resealable plastic bag. Place the sweet potatoes and onion in the bag. Seal bag, and shake to coat vegetables with the oil mixture.

Bake beets 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Mix sweet potato mixture with the beets on the baking sheet. Continue baking 45 minutes, stirring after 20 minutes, until all vegetables are tender.